Frankenfels: Nature, Views and Culture

Frankenfels can be explored through several distinct interests: a stalactite cave and gorge, viewpoints and hiking trails, climbing gardens, as well as a museum, a legend trail and an outdoor swimming pool. When planning your trip, the deciding factor is therefore not a single attraction, but which of these themes you want to shape your stay. If you are looking for accommodation in Frankenfels, you can first weigh up nature and outdoor activities, regional history, and a swim.

Nature experiences and viewpoints

The Nix Cave in Frankenfels is a stalactite cave formed from snow-white mountain milk. It is 1,410 metres long and has an elevation difference of 70 metres. The two measurements describe different aspects of the cave: its length indicates its extent, while the elevation difference indicates its vertical scale. Guided tours for groups are available at any time by prior arrangement. So if you plan to visit the cave, making an advance booking is part of your preparations.

The high plateau of Falkenstein lies at an altitude of 720 metres and offers views over the village of Frankenfels, the opposite Frankenfelsberg mountain and the Natterstal valley. In addition, numerous marked walking and hiking trails lead from Frankenfels to viewpoints at more than 1,000 metres above sea level, with views of the Ötscher region. You can therefore choose between the named high plateau and trails to higher viewpoints if views and elevation are important to your choice of excursion.

Another way to combine scenery and activity is the Taubenbach Gorge in Frankenfels. The gorge has hiking trails and a forest nature trail. This offers two different ways to explore the area: hiking trails and a nature trail that focuses on the forest. The gorge complements the viewpoints with a different nature experience; the two offer distinct things to see and do.

Climbing and outdoor swimming pool

Frankenfels has four climbing gardens with around 200 routes of all difficulty levels. When planning a climbing trip, both the choice of several climbing gardens and the wide range of difficulties are relevant. The number of routes gives an impression of the scale of the offering, while the difficulty levels help you better assess how it suits your climbing interests.

The Alpenfreibad Frankenfels offers something different: it has a 33-metre-long water slide. The outdoor pool is located between tennis courts, a beach volleyball court and a children’s playground. This layout places the swimming area alongside other leisure activities. When planning your trip, you can clearly distinguish between climbing, hiking and a visit to the outdoor pool, rather than treating these activities as one combined offering.

History and stories

The Hausstein Mountain Farming Museum in Frankenfels displays around 2,000 exhibits across 400 square metres. Its themes range from crafts and the household to farming and everyday life on a mountain farm. If you are interested in the ways people worked and lived in the past, the museum offers a concrete insight into several aspects of rural life. The exhibition space and approximate number of exhibits also give an impression of the museum’s scale.

The legend trail leads from Frankenfels via Puchenstuben and St. Anton an der Jeßnitz. Along the trail, you can explore stories about the formation of the valley, relics from the past and legends from earlier times. Unlike the museum, this experience centres not on an exhibition of objects, but on combining stories with a route through the named places. If you are interested in local traditions and history, this offers a different approach from the mountain farming museum.

Advance booking for selected activities

Culinary offerings add another distinctive note: at the Dirndl-Mostheuriger Hausstein, “woodcutters’ Sterz” or Feuerflecken are prepared over an open fire by prior arrangement. Advance booking is part of planning for the preparation of these dishes. Groups also need to book cave tours in advance. These are separate offerings and therefore separate planning considerations: a guided tour of the Nix Cave on the one hand, and the named dishes at the Heuriger on the other.

Discover more destinations: Laaben.

View the wider travel overview: Sankt Pölten.